Epic poetry
]] An '''epic' (from the Ancient Greek adjective (epikos'pi), from (epos) "word, story, poem"http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=epic) is a lengthy narrative poem , ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation.Michael Meyer, The Bedford Introduction to Literature, Bedford/St. Martin's, 2005, p2128. ISBN 0-312-41242-8 Definition Epic (epic) a. Ep"ic epicus, Gr. (?), from (?) a word, speech, tale, song; akin to L. vox voice: cf. F. épique. See Voice. Narrated in a grand style; pertaining to or designating a kind of narrative poem , usually called an heroic poem, in which real or fictitious events, usually the achievements of some hero, are narrated in an elevated style. "The epic poem treats of one great, complex action, in a grand style and with fullness of detail. T. Arnold." Epic (epic) n. Ep"ic An epic or heroic poem. See Epic, a."Epic" Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary 1913, 1913.MShaffer.com, Web, July 8, 2011. History Oral poetry may qualify as an epic, and Albert Lord and Milman Parry have argued that classical epics were originally an oral poetic form. Nonetheless, epics have been written down at least since the works of Virgil, Dante Alighieri, and John Milton. Many probably would not have survived if not written down. The first epics are known as primary, or original, epics. One such epic is the Old English story Beowulf. Epics that attempt to imitate these like Milton's ''Paradise Lost are known as literary, or secondary, epics. Another type of epic poetry is epyllion (plural: epyllia), which is a brief narrative poem with a romantic or mythological theme. The term, which means 'little epic', came in use in the nineteenth century. It refers primarily to the type of erotic and mythological long elegy of which Ovid remains the master; to a lesser degree, the term includes some poems of the English Renaissance, particularly those influenced by Ovid. One suggested example of classical epyllion may be seen in the story of Nisus and Euryalus in Book IX of Aeneid. Oral epics or world folk epics The first epics were products of preliterate societies and oral poetic traditions. In these traditions, poetry is transmitted to the audience and from performer to performer by purely oral means. Early twentieth-century study of living oral epic traditions in the Balkans by Milman Parry and Albert Lord demonstrated the paratactic model used for composing these poems. What they demonstrated was that oral epics tend to be constructed in short episodes, each of equal status, interest and importance. This facilitates memorization, as the poet is recalling each episode in turn and using the completed episodes to recreate the entire epic as he performs it. Parry and Lord also showed that the most likely source for written texts of the epics of Homer was dictation from an oral performance. Epic: a long narrative poem in elevated stature presenting characters of high position in adventures forming an organic whole through their relation to a central heroic figure and through their development of episodes important to the history of a nation or race. An attempt to deliminate nine main characteristics of an epic:http://homepage.mac.com/mseffie/assignments/beowulf/epic.html # It opens in medias res. # The setting is vast, covering many nations, the world or the universe. # Begins with an invocation to a muse (epic invocation). # It starts with a statement of the theme. # Includes the use of epithets. # Contains long lists (epic catalogue). # Features long and formal speeches. # Shows divine intervention on human affairs. # "Star" heroes that embody the values of the civilization. The hero generally participates in a cyclical journey or quest, faces adversaries that try to defeat him in his journey and returns home significantly transformed by his journey. The epic hero illustrates traits, performs deeds, and exemplifies certain morals that are valued by the society the epic originates from. Many epic heroes are recurring characters in the legends of their native culture. Conventions of epics: # Praepositio: Opens by stating the theme or cause of the epic. This may take the form of a purpose (as in Milton, who proposed "to justify the ways of God to men"); of a question (as in the Iliad, which Homer initiates by asking a Muse to sing of Achilles' anger); or of a situation (as in the Song of Roland, with Charlemagne in Spain). # Invocation: Writer invokes a Muse, one of the nine daughters of Zeus. The poet prays to the Muses to provide him with divine inspiration to tell the story of a great hero. (This convention is obviously restricted to cultures influenced by European Classical culture. The Epic of Gilgamesh, for example, or the Bhagavata Purana would obviously not contain this element). # In medias res: narrative opens "in the middle of things", with the hero at his lowest point. Usually flashbacks show earlier portions of the story. # Enumeratio: Catalogues and genealogies are given. These long lists of objects, places, and people place the finite action of the epic within a broader, universal context. Often, the poet is also paying homage to the ancestors of audience members. # Epithet: Heavy use of repetition or stock phrases: e.g., Homer's "rosy-fingered dawn" and "wine-dark sea." Literate societies have often copied the epic format The earliest surviving European examples are the Argonautica of Apollonius of Rhodes and Virgil's Aeneid, which follow both the style and subject matter of Homer. Other obvious examples are [[Nonnus|Nonnus' Dionysiaca]], Tulsidas' Sri Ramacharit Manas. Notable epic poems '' manuscript]] :This list can be compared with two others, ''national epic and list of world folk-epics.According to that article, world folk epics are those that are not just literary masterpieces, but also an integral part of the world view of a people, originally oral, later written down by one or several authors. Ancient epics (to 500) *20th to 10th century BC: **Epic of Gilgamesh'' (Mesopotamian mythology) **''Atrahasis'' (Mesopotamian mythology) **''Enuma Elish'' (Babylonian mythology) (The date of compositions of Babylonian epics is often hard to determine, as they may survive on manuscripts that are much later than the first composition. There is also the complication that they underwent successive revisions and redactions.) *8th to 6th century BC: **''Iliad, ascribed to Homer (Greek mythology) **Odyssey, ascribed to Homer (Greek mythology) **Works and Days, ascribed to Hesiod (Greek mythology) **Theogony, ascribed to Hesiod (Greek mythology) **Catalogue of Women, ascribed to Hesiod (Greek mythology) **The Shield of Heracles, ascribed to Hesiod (Greek mythology) *5th to 4th century BC: **MahÄbhÄrata, ascribed to Vyasa (Hindu mythology) (5th to 1st century BC) **Ramayana, ascribed to Valmiki (Hindu mythology) (5th century BC to 4th century AD) *3rd century BC: **Argonautica'' by Apollonius of Rhodes *2nd century BC: **''Annales'' by Quintus Ennius (Roman History) *1st century BC: **''Aeneid'' by Virgil (Latin mythology) **''De rerum natura'' by Lucretius (Latin Literature, Epicurean philosophy) *1st century AD: **''Metamorphoses'' by Ovid (Latin mythology) **''Pharsalia'' by Lucan (Roman history) **''Punica'' by Silius Italicus (Roman history) **''Argonautica'' by Gaius Valerius Flaccus (Roman poet, Greek mythology) **''Thebaid'' and Achilleid by Statius (Roman poet, Greek mythology) *2nd century: **''Buddhacarita'' by (Indian epic poetry) **''Saundaranandakavya'' by (Indian epic poetry) *2nd to 5th century: **The Five Great Epics of Tamil Literature: ***''Silappadikaram'' by Prince Ilango Adigal ***''Manimekalai'' by Seethalai Saathanar ***''Civaka Cintamani'' by Tirutakakatevar ***''Kundalakesi'' by a Buddhist poet ***''Valayapati'' by a Jaina poet *3rd to 4th century: **''Posthomerica'' by Quintus of Smyrna *4th century: **''Evangeliorum libri'' by Juvencus **''KumÄrasambhava'' by KÄlidÄsa (Indian epic poetry) **''Raghuvaá¹ƒÅ›a'' by KÄlidÄsa (Indian epic poetry) **''De Raptu Proserpinae'' by Claudian *5th century: **''Argonautica Orphica'' by Anonymous **''Dionysiaca'' by Nonnus Medieval epics (500-1500) *7th century: **''TÃ¡in BÃ³ CÃºailnge (Old Irish)'' **''Bhaá¹á¹ikÄvya, Sanskrit courtly epic based on the RÄmÄyaá¹‡a and the Aá¹£á¹ÄdhyÄyÄ« of PÄá¹‡ini **Kiratarjuniya'' by Bharavi, Sanskrit epic based on an episode in the Mahabharata **''Shishupala Vadha'' by Magha, Sanskrit epic based on another episode in the Mahabharata *8th to 10th century: **''Beowulf'' (Old English) **''Waldere, Old English version of the story told in ''Waltharius (below), known only as a brief fragment **''David of Sasun'' (Armenian) *9th century: **''Bhagavata Purana'' (Sanskrit) "Stories of the Lord", based on earlier sources *10th century: **''Shahnameh'' (Persian literature; details Persian legend and history from prehistoric times to the fall of the Sassanid Empire) **''Waltharius'' by Ekkehard of St. Gall (Latin); about Walter of Aquitaine *11th century: **''Taghribat Bani Hilal'' (Arabic); see also Arabic epic literature **''Ruodlieb'' (Latin), by a German author **''Digenis Akritas'' (Greek); about a hero of the Byzantine Empire **''Epic of King Gesar'' (Tibetan) *12th century: **''Chanson de Roland'' (Old French) **''The Knight in the Panther Skin'' by Shota Rustaveli **''Alexandreis'' by Walter of ChÃ¢tillon (Latin) **''De bello Troiano'' and the lost Antiocheis by Joseph of Exeter **''Carmen de Prodicione Guenonis, version of the story of the ''Song of Roland in Latin **''Architrenius'' by John of Hauville, Latin satire **''Liber ad honorem Augusti'' by Peter of Eboli, narrative of the conquest of Sicily by Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor (Latin) **''The Tale of Igor's Campaign'' and Bylinas (11th-19th centuries) *13th century: **''Nibelungenlied'' (Middle High German) **''Parzival'' by Wolfram von Eschenbach - (Middle High German) **''Brut'' by Layamon (Early Middle English) **''Chanson de la Croisade Albigeoise'' ("Song of the Albigensian Crusade"; Occitan) **''Antar'' (Arabic); see also Arabic epic literature **''Sirat al-Zahir Baibars'' (Arabic); see also Arabic epic literature **''Epic of Sundiata'' **''El Cantar de Mio Cid, Spanish epic of the Reconquista (Old Spanish) **De triumphis ecclesiae'' by Johannes de Garlandia (Latin) **''Gesta Regum Britanniae'' by William of Rennes (Latin) **''Jewang ungi'' by Yi Seung-hyu ("Rhymed Chronicles of Sovereigns"; 1287 Korea) *14th century: ** Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio **''Confessio Amantis'' by John Gower (c. 1350) **''Cursor Mundi'' by an anonymous cleric (c. 1300) **''Divina Commedia'' (The Divine Comedy) by Dante Alighieri (Italian) **''Africa'' by Petrarch (Latin) **''The Tale of the Heike'' (Japanese epic war tale) *15th century: **''Alliterative Morte Arthure'' (Middle English) **''Orlando innamorato'' by Matteo Maria Boiardo (1495) **''Shmuel-Bukh'' (Old Yiddish chivalry romance based on the Biblical book of Samuel **''Mlokhim-Bukh'' (Old Yiddish epic poem based on the Biblical Books of Kings) ** Book of Dede Korkut Modern epics (from 1500) *16th century: **''Orlando furioso'' by Ludovico Ariosto (1516) **''Os LusÃadas'' by LuÃs de CamÃµes (c.1555) **''La Araucana'' by Alonso de Ercilla y ZÃºÃ±iga (1569â€“1589) **''La Gerusalemme liberata'' by Torquato Tasso (1575) **''Ramacharitamanasa'' (based on the Ramayana) by Goswami Tulsidas (1577) **''Lepanto'' by King James VI of Scotland (1591) **''Matilda'' by Michael Drayton (1594) **''The Faerie Queene'' by Edmund Spenser (1596) *17th century: **''The Barons' Wars'' by Michael Drayton (1603; early version 1596 entitled Mortimeriados) **''The Purple Island'' by Phineas Fletcher (1633) **''Szigeti veszedelem, also known under the Latin title '' Obsidionis Szigetianae, a Hungarian epic by MiklÃ³s ZrÃnyi (1651) **''Davideis'' by Abraham Cowley (c. 1668) **''Paradise Lost'' by John Milton (1667) **''Paradise Regained'' by John Milton (1671) **''Wojna chocimska'' by WacÅ‚aw Potocki (1672) **''Prince Arthur'' by Richard Blackmore (1695) **''King Arthur'' by Richard Blackmore (1697) *18th century: **''Eliza'' by Richard Blackmore (1705) **''Columbus'' by Ubertino Carrara (1714) **''Redemption'' by Richard Blackmore (1722) **Henriade by Voltaire (1723) **La Pucelle d'OrlÃ©ans by Voltaire (1756) **''Alfred'' by Richard Blackmore (1723) **''Utendi wa Tambuka'' by Bwana Mwengo (1728) **''Leonidas'' by Richard Glover (1737) **''Epigoniad'' by William Wilkie (1757) **''The Highlander; by James Macpherson (1758) **''The Works of Ossian by James MacPherson (1765) **''O Uraguai'' by BasÃlio da Gama (1769) **''Caoineadh Airt UÃ Laoghaire** by EibhlÃn Dubh NÃ Chonaill (1773) **Der Messias'' by Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock (1773) **''Rossiada'' by Mikhail Matveyevich Kheraskov (1771â€“1779) **''Vladimir'' by Mikhail Matveyevich Kheraskov (1785) **''Athenaid'' by Richard Glover (1787) **''Joan of Arc'' by Robert Southey (1796) **''Hermann and Dorothea'' by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1797) ;19th century : **''The Tale of Kiá»u'' by Nguyá»…n Du (1800?) **''Thalaba the Destroyer'' by Robert Southey (1801) **''The Lay of the Last Minstrel'' by Walter Scott (1805) **''Madoc'' by Robert Southey (1805) **''Faust'' by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (part 1 1806, part 2 c. 1833) **''Columbiad'' by Joel Barlow (1807) **''Milton: a Poem'' by William Blake (1804â€“1810) **''Marmion (poem)'' by Walter Scott (1808) **''The Lady of the Lake (poem)'' by Walter Scott (1810) **''The Vision of Don Roderick'' by Walter Scott (1811) **''The Curse of Kehama'' by Robert Southey (1810) **''Rokeby'' and The Bridal of Triermain by Walter Scott (1813) **''Queen Mab (poem)'' by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1813) **''Roderick, the Last of the Goths'' by Robert Southey (1814) **''The Lord of the Isles'' by Walter Scott (1813) **''Alastor, or The Spirit of Solitude'' by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1815) **''The Revolt of Islam (Laon and Cyntha)'' by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1817) **''Harold the Dauntless'' by Walter Scott (1817) **''Endymion, (1818) by John Keats **The Battle of Marathon'' by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1820) **''Hyperion, (1818), and ''The Fall of Hyperion, (1819) by John Keats **''L'OrlÃ©anide, PoÃ¨me national en vingt-huit chants, by Philippe-Alexandre Le Brun de Charmettes (1821) **Phra Aphai Mani'' by Sunthorn Phu (1821 or 1823â€“1845) ** Promessi Sposi by Alessandro Manzoni **''Don Juan'' by Lord Byron (1824) **''Prometheus Bound'' by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1833) **''Pan Tadeusz'' by Adam Mickiewicz (1834) **''Krst pri Savici'' by France PreÅ¡eren (1835) **''The Seraphim'' by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1838) **''Smrt Smail-age ÄŒengiÄ‡a'' by Ivan MaÅ¾uraniÄ‡ (1846) **''Evangeline'' by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1847) **''Gorski Vijenac'' by Petar Petovity Njegosh **''Kalevala'' by Elias LÃ¶nnrot (1849 Finnish mythology) **''Kalevipoeg'' by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald (1853 Estonian mythology) **''The Prelude'' by William Wordsworth **''Song of Myself'' by Walt Whitman (1855) **''The Song of Hiawatha'' by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1855) **''La Fin de Satan'' by Victor Hugo (written between 1855 and 1860, published in 1886) **''La LÃ©gende des SiÃ¨cles'' (The Legend of the Centuries) by Victor Hugo (1859-1877) **''The Ring and the Book'' by Robert Browning (1868-69) **''MartÃn Fierro by JosÃ© HernÃ¡ndez (1872)'' **''Idylls of the King'' by Alfred Lord Tennyson (c. 1874) **''Clarel'' by Herman Melville (1876) **''L'AtlÃ ntida'' by Jacint Verdaguer (1877) **''The City of Dreadful Night'' by James Thomson (B.V.) (finished in 1874, published in 1880) **''Eros and Psyche'' by Robert Bridges (1885) **''CanigÃ³'' by Jacint Verdaguer (1886) **''LÄÄplÄ“sis'' ('The Bear-Slayer') by Andrejs Pumpurs (1888; Latvian Mythology) **''The Wanderings of Oisin by William Butler Yeats (1889)'' ;20th century : **''Lahuta e MalcÃs'' by Gjergj Fishta (composed 1902-1937) **''Drake: An English Epic'' (1905â€“1908), The Torch-Bearers (1917â€“1930) by Alfred Noyes **''The Ballad of the White Horse'' by G. K. Chesterton (1911) **''Mensagem'' by Fernando Pessoa (composed 1913-1934) **''The Cantos'' by Ezra Pound (composed 1915-1969) **''The Hashish-Eater; Or, The Apocalypse of Evil'' by Clark Ashton Smith (1920) **''The Bridge'' by Hart Crane (1930) **''Kurukshetra'' (1946), Rashmirathi (1952), Urvashi (1961), Hunkar by Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' **''Savitri'' by Aurobindo Ghose (1950) **''The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel'' by Nikos Kazantzakis (Greek verse, composed 1924-1938) **''Dymer'' by C. S. Lewis (1926) **''A Cycle of the West'' by John Neihardt (composed 1921-1949) **''"A"'' by Louis Zukofsky (composed 1928-1968) **''Paterson'' by William Carlos Williams (composed c.1940-1961) **''Victory for the Slain'' by Hugh John Lofting (1942) **''The Maximus Poems'' by Charles Olson (composed 1950-1970) **''Libretto for the Republic of Liberia'' by Melvin B. Tolson (1953) **''Aniara'' by Harry Martinson (composed 1956) **''Mountains and Rivers Without End'' by Gary Snyder (composed 1965-1996) **''Helen in Egypt'' by H.D. (Hilda Doolittle) (1974) **''The Changing Light at Sandover'' by James Merrill (composed 1976-1982) **''The Battlefield Where the Moon Says I Love You'' by Frank Stanford (published 1977) **''The Legend of Te Tuna'' by Richard Adams (published 1982) **''Genesis: An Epic Poem'' by Frederick Turner (1988) **''Omeros'' by Derek Walcott (1990) **''The Levant'' by Mircea CÄƒrtÄƒrescu (1990) **''AstronautilÃa HvÄ›zdoplavba by Jan KÅ™esadlo (1995)'' **''The Descent of Alette'' by Alice Notley (1996) **''Cheikh Anta Diop: Poem for the Living'' by Mwatabu S. Okantah (1997) **''The Dream of Norumbega: Epic on the U.S.'' by James Wm. Chichetto (c. 1990; p. 2000- ) **''Portvcale'' by Tiago Lameiras (c. 2009; p. 2010) Other epics *''Exact Epitome of the Four Monarchies'' by Anne Bradstreet (1650) *''The Conquest of Canaan'' by Timothy Dwight IV (1785) *''The Anarchiad'' by David Humphreys, Joel Barlow, John Trumbull, and Lemuel Hopkins (1786â€“87) *''The Anathemata'' by David Jones (1952) *''The Adagios Quartet'' by Judith Fitzgerald (poetry 1999-2009) *''Canto general'' by Pablo Neruda *''Four Quartets'' by T. S. Eliot *''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' by Richard Wagner (opera, composed 1848-1874) *''Parsifal'' by Richard Wagner (opera, composed 1880-1882) *''Fredy Neptune: A Novel in Verse'' by Les Murray See also * Chanson de geste * List of poetic forms * Duma (Ukrainian epic) * Bylina (Russian epic) * Hebrew and Jewish epic poetry * How to write an epic poem * Tanakh * Indian epic poetry * Serbian epic poetry * Yukar (Ainu epic) * List of world folk-epics * Monomyth * National epic * Bible * Calliope (Greek muse of epic poetry) * Epic Hero * Alpamysh * Rimur References * http://www.poetry-portal.com/styles10.html * http://members.optushome.com.au/kazoom/poetry/epic.html * http://www.findpoetry.com/searchnow/Epic/ Notes External links * Clay Sanskrit Library publishes classical Indian literature, including the Mahabharata and Ramayana, with facing-page text and translation. Also offers searchable corpus and downloadable materials. * Humanities Index has notes on epic poetry. *World of Dante Multimedia website that offers Italian text of Divine Comedy, Allen Mandelbaum's translation, gallery, interactive maps, timeline, musical recordings, and searchable database for students and teachers. Bibliography *Jan de Vries: Heroic Song and Heroic Legend ISBN 0-405-10566-5 *Cornel Heinsdorff: Christus, Nikodemus und die Samaritanerin bei Juvencus. Mit einem Anhang zur lateinischen Evangelienvorlage, Untersuchungen zur antiken Literatur und Geschichte 67, Berlin/New York 2003, ISBN 3-11-017851-6 *Fallon, Oliver. Bhattiâ€™s Poem: The Death of RÃ¡vana (Bhaá¹á¹ikÄvya). New York 2009: Clay Sanskrit Library, http://www.claysanskritlibrary.org/. ISBN 978-0-8147-2778-2, ISBN 0-8147-2778-6 Category:Epic poetry * Category:Fiction Category:Fiction forms Category:Greek loanwords